Long Live the King!

The King is dead! Nope, not Elvis, the Burger King mascot; that creepy, mute guy with the molded plastic face in the commercials.

 While noshing on edamame and Crystal Lite at lunch today I was surfing the net and visited a favorite local website, Desert Living Today (www.desertlivingtoday.com) and read an article that Burger King (referred to by comedian Dane Cook as the BK Lounge) was trying to appeal to a new demographic by revamping its menu to appear more healthy. I say appear because they’re adding avocado to the Whopper. Yup, that’s their big plan. Oh and Swiss cheese and bacon. I can hear dieters lining up now! By ending the king’s reign, which is associated with unhealthy hamburgers, the BK Lounge is looking to get customers away from their bowl of air and glass of diet water and belly up to their counters for Whopper with bacon and Swiss. Is the addition of the avocado balance it out the way a diet pop balances out a regular Whopper with cheese?

BK’s website doesn’t have the nutritional data posted yet so I had look at the original Whopper’s data. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the flame-broiled goodness but something is rotten in the state of the BK empire when adding naturally salty accoutrements is the plan for getting more health-conscious customers in their door. And it better be a big door because at 51g of carbs and 980mg of salt… well it just boggles the mind to think what the new numbers will look like with these added items. Speculation on Desert Living puts this ‘healthy alternative’ at 1400mg of salt. My arteries slammed shut as I typed that. So not only is the King dead, I will be too if I listen to a fast food place for my dietary needs.

After that laughable nod to healthy eating, I received an email from azcentral (www.azcentral.com) for an article entitled High salt, low exercise bad for the brain. The study conducted by the University of Toronto stated ‘one teaspoon of salt is equal to 2,000 milligrams. Low and medium sodium intake were defined as not exceeding 2,263 and 3,090 milligrams respectively’. I’m thinking (as best I can with all this excess salt I lug around like a pack mule) that one ‘healthy’ Whopper would definitely help reach that maximum. I try to keep my sodium intake under 1,000mg daily and still I’m puffy!

But wait, I hear you say. April, there’s Subway! It worked for Jared! Eat Fresh and all that. I took a quick peek at Subway’s nutritional information and found the item with the lowest sodium count is the 6 inch Orchard Chicken Salad sandwich at 560mg. Add 54g of carbs and that’s out of my league because I try to keep the carb count under 30g. Though I’m not ashamed to say I pine for the 6 inch Italian B.M.T with 1,500mg of salt and 47g of carbs.  Haven’t had one in years, but at night I curl up in the fetal position and sniff the discarded wrapper from those who do partake.

Occasionally I’ll venture to Pei Wei for the Vietnamese salad rolls which have nothing but fresh veggies and steamed chicken in them. I’ve even gotten a feeling of superiority as I wait to place my order and hear others asking for the Mongolian Beef with white rice. The fools! I’ve thought in a haughty tone. Their meal is 1,220mg of salt! And then I took a look at my beloved salad rolls. 480mg because the chicken is injected with a salty broth to make it tastier. And that revelation is what leads me to sit at my desk daily, consuming mixed field greens and not much else.

So today’s lie is quite easy: fast food restaurants will continue to strive for dieters dollars by offering only top notch choices that meet (or meat) said dieters needs.

At What Cost? Part 3 of 3

Today we’ll be concluding the three part essay on the state of America’s collective waistline. In part one we discussed the cost ratio between healthy versus junk food. In part two we discussed potentially what could be done by the government to provide guidance to those on a very fixed income in terms of food choices. Also on display was my not at all veiled contempt for Republican politicians currently on the campaign trail. This final piece concerns our taste buds.

Ah taste, a large reason we consume as much as we do. The sense of taste is remarkable. Like smell, it can evoke wonderful memories. This point is especially driven home when you consider the phrase we are what we eat. Looking at food from that perspective, I’m my mom’s Christmas cutouts, my dad’s meatloaf (voted world famous by a voter of one, my dad) and my grandma’s Polish sausage, all things that puts a smile on my face by reminding me of a childhood in Michigan surrounded by my boisterous family.

 These items, along with nachos, pizza and wings all contribute to great memories and a love of unhealthy food, which is what makes its so difficult to choose healthier options when these are the foods I’ve come to know and love. On game day, most people don’t want to curl up with a bowl of broccoli when there are deep fried egg rolls to be had. This is the conundrum I face when attempting to select healthy foods but am drawn to items that taste much better.

I’ve been down the health food aisle of my grocery store so often that I nearly have all the items memorized. Soy patties on a low carb bun in favor of beef hamburgers on a thick bun can lack appeal. I understand why health food gets such a bad rap for being bland because a lot of it is. And for me personally, much of this food, while lowering the caloric intake, replaces much flavor with salt. Not a good choice for someone who already has a terrible problem eliminating it from their body.

I was being totally honest when I said I’m at times jealous of those who have no desire to curb their junk food eating habits. I’d love to eat an entire bag of Cheetos right now. Instead I’m steaming green beans to nosh on.

Its cheaper in the short term to eat empty calories, loaded with salt, sugar and fat than it is to try to eliminate those items in lieu of fresh vegetables and lean meats. For many, the flavors they are today savoring are worth the harm to their health. When people spend money on these foods, perhaps they should also be taking into account the unforeseen costs down the road: medical costs for doctor visits, insulin, blood pressure medication, not to mention potentially leading to heart disease, diabetes, strokes and some forms of cancer. What the real value in that value meal?

The long term benefits of healthy eating as I see it far outweigh the tastiness I get from short term indulgence. I get tired of watching my diet but I get tired of being tired from saturated fats and shortness of breath from carrying around the extra bulk. I’ve lost forty-two pounds since September 2010 and I’m proud of that. But it doesn’t make eating veggies any more fun.

Today’s lie: we will train ourselves to like veggies as much as our nachos when watching Sunday football.

At What Cost? Part 2 of 3

Here’s what we’ve learned in part one of this three part essay: the cost of paying for healthy food isn’t cheap. In part 2 we’re going to be discussing those in society that are on a fixed income and what the government can do to help. I’ll give you a hint, Michelle Obama would be pleased because it gets to the heart obesity, Republicans would get upset because it could pose a threat to corporate tax breaks, Michelle Bachmann would not have an opinion on it until her husband tells it to her and Sarah Palin would tell reporters her thoughts but she is too busy trying to remain relevant. 

Those on a fixed income like senior citizens, welfare recipients and the working poor could benefit greatly from more money given to them for better food products. Cheetos are great but fresh fruit and vegetables would be a healthier choice. I too have stood in the grocery store really trying to justify spending $3 for a large bag of Doritos or $7 on 2 bags of frozen green beans. The green beans win but many don’t have that option. I’m thinking of senior citizens who spend tremendous amounts on medication and have little to spend on food. So they purchase Hamburger Helper because per the commercial it makes a great meal… it also lasts longer than vegetables that can rot on the counter.

NPR recently posted a great article about this very thing on their website, stating “Americans, on average, spend less than 10 percent of our money on food. A lot of people buy too much fast food — but from an economic standpoint, it is a good decision. The smartest, most rational decision is to eat the crappiest food, because everywhere you turn it's more accessible, more affordable and more convenient," says David Wallinga, a senior adviser in science, food and health at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minneapolis. He is one of the people who say federal farm policy leads directly to overeating”.

I suggest we took away farming subsidies and put some of that money into projects that promote healthy eating habits. This plan might work for a few but overall it would fall on deaf ears because telling someone with a tiny budget to spending it on healthier alternatives is great in theory but doesn’t feed them. What if some of those farm subsidies are also directed to those on government assistance, perhaps that would be a better approach? Explain the benefits of better food choices and give them a few more dollars to help with that. Would they still spend the money on junk food? Sure, some will. Some might be grateful for the opportunity to provide more well-balanced meals.

Take this journey with me: end farm subsidies, teach people how to eat better and fund them a bit to motivate them. So let’s speculate we’ve got better informed people standing in grocery aisles with a few extra bucks to buy better food. And next to them is their kid who wants to feel somewhat normal, not like a ‘welfare’ kid who at a young age knows there’s a big difference between the haves and the have-nots. All they want is to be like other kids with big name brand cereal for breakfast. Dad can now afford it occasionally but knows that’s not the best for his kid though its one of the few things he can now provide. So he buys Frosted Flakes.

Not so fast though; with farm subsidies gone, many speculate the cost of food products will go up. However Margo Wootan, the director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest Wootan says that environment isn't shaped by farm policy nearly as much as it is by food processors and marketers.

Per NPR’s article, “For example, even when corn prices doubled, the price of corn flakes barely moved. That's because food ingredient costs are miniscule compared to other expenses. On average, less than one in five dollars consumers spend on food actually goes to farmers and ranchers. Shipping, packaging, processing and marketing and selling make up the rest of your grocery bill. Companies are really competing very aggressively to sell their food and not somebody else's food," Wooten says. "And that's creating more and more food that Americans are eating, and as a result, we're gaining a lot of weight." And as a Wooten's group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, regularly points out, processed foods are often loaded with salt, sugar and fat.

So do we leave farm subsidies as is and tell people they need to make better choices? It might work but if that were the case we wouldn’t be a nation getting fatter.  Do we instead tell marketers to stop creating visually appealing products? Give them large corporate tax breaks to do so? Maybe legislate advertising? That worked for curbing tobacco being marketed to minors. But food?

Many would point to parents and say they are to control what their children eat. They’d be right however if the parents don’t know better or don’t care or can’t provide better, then what? Are we to become generations of fat kids who grow into fat adults, taking pills for blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes and a host of other problems?

I sure don’t have answers, I’m merely thinking out loud. We can continue eating junk food, getting fat, continue taking medication for the problems that arise from it which will continue funding pharmaceutical companies, who will continue to receive corporate tax breaks and use that extra money to continue funding politicians who do not remember the last time they had to make $1 last a week but have no qualms telling the nation they are returning family values to America. I do know today’s lie: its  a lack of family values that’s the problem, not a glut of value meals at the drive-thru.

At What Cost? Part 1 of 3

This week at work I’ve turned down cupcakes, cookies, birthday cake, brownies and monkey bread, in favor of cucumber spears, cauliflower florets or nothing at all. Not because I didn’t want to eat every last bite, but because none of them are healthy. So I munched on my veggies and pretended I couldn’t smell the cinnamon goodness wafting over my desk.

Having fresh vegetables and fruit at my disposal adds up quickly. I buy frozen items on a regular basis but its difficult to find packaged sans salt added. I have spent much time rummaging through the freezer section of grocery stores, trying in vain to find something with no cheese sauce, no ‘special seasonings’ (i.e. salt) added and nothing with a high sugar content. This excludes some though leaves me several choices but again, it does add up.

I’d commented to my mom I understand why the country is getting fatter. Poor eating choices are definitely a factor, laziness too, but I think what gets overlooked is the cost. I had the following discussion with my friend Jennifer as she was preparing a peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich at her desk which is much easier on the wallet than my mixed field greens: $7 will get you a 2 liter of pop, a loaf of white bread, a package of lunch meat and a bag of chips; lunch for the work week. That same $7 covered my low-fat sour cream (small size) and low sodium shredded cheddar (small bag) and lasted two days.  A large bag of pasta is $0.89, a can of generic spaghetti sauce is $2 and there’s dinner for a few days. My ground, organic chicken is $1.10 a pound, I don’t buy pasta but my spaghetti sauce is over $4 a jar.

This isn’t bragging I’m envious! Truly, there are times I wish I didn’t care about my health; I’d ignore the swollen legs, clothes no longer fitting, disregard fat content, sodium count, eat a big bowl of ice cream and sugar count be damned! Its cheaper and less effort to be fat than it is to use some thought when making food selections. And I won’t even touch on using food stamps in this post (that’s part 2) but let me say I’ve been behind many people paying with food stamps while they unload their carts and its usually items like Sugar Smacks, Froot Roll-Ups, Bagel Bites, Doritos and cases of Mountain Dew. I get it, its tastes better (more on this in part 3). But I also look at the people unloading these carts and most are quite overweight; no judgment, I’m overweight too.

I was unloading my basket of vitamins and a large bottle of water onto Fry’s conveyor belt last month and a large man on a scooter asked if I could help him unload his items. I gladly did so because I was raised right but I saw why he couldn’t unload his items. The roll of fat was already over the handle bars and reaching the conveyor belt would push into his diaphragm and cut off his breathing. I didn’t know the man; maybe he has health problems that cause his obesity. But even without an M.D. after my name I could see part of the issue was what I’d unloaded. Little Debbie snack cakes, Pillsbury cookie dough and a container of fried chicken from the deli. It smelled fantastic! I bid him a good day and went to the gym.

Today's glaringly big lie: Healthy food will be just as satisfying as junk food.

Enough!

I was sitting on the floor a few minutes ago, struggling to get my very grungy toe nail polish off. I’d inadvertently gotten sunblock on it and as most women know, that creates a tacky, gooey mess. Compound that with having been in the sun and my toes looked awful. I’d caught a glimpse of them while emptying the dishwasher this evening.

So there I was, sitting on the floor, scrubbing with acetone and I realized I wouldn’t be able to wear open-toed shoes to work tomorrow. Ok I’m capable of it but who wants to look at my or any other woman’s naked toe nails? This got me pondering nail colors. Not because I was going to repaint my toes at nearly nine. I was thinking of why women, particularly overweight women, paint their toes.

Let’s be frank, we can’t see them and it’s a hassle to lean over to reach them when there’s a gut acting as a roadblock. But when we do make the effort, it makes us happy, feel pretty, and pulled together, even when the rest of our appearance isn’t. In short, it’s the easiest thing to ‘correct’ about ourselves that doesn’t require a gym membership, a special eating plan, no discipline and we’re hoping it just might detract from our overindulged midsection.

Most overweight women I know have their toes painted on a regular basis, some fancier than others. I include myself in that statement. This is most prevalent in the nail salon. A spa pedicure does indeed relax and remove calluses but for larger women, its just plan easier to pay someone to sit at the other end of the massage chair/tub and make everything prettier, disregarding that we’re winded from a short walk from the parking lot.

Of course this form of, oh what do we want to call this twisted version of reality? Faux thin? Let’s go with that. This faux thin takes on other forms as well. I know a friend of a friend who insists on the best of everything but her two biggest weaknesses are expensive designer handbags and jewelry in blue boxes. She robs Peter to pay Paul just to make sure she can purchase those two items. We’re convinced its because those are the two things that don’t require you to try them on. No Spanx are needed to wear a fancy necklace, a purse strap will always glide over an arm. In short, there’s no size to slap the burger out of this woman’s hands and force her to see what she’s really doing.

We’re all guilty of it, taking the easier route, rather than fixing what really bothers us about ourselves. But is there a line we fat women need to draw and say ‘enough’? The quick fix, like a high, may make us feel better in the short term but once the shiny top coat begins to dull, so do we and we’re off to remedy that instead of taking twenty on a treadmill.

So I’m saying ENOUGH. I’m not wearing going to wear polish for a bit. Not because I don’t want to look pulled together but because no matter now fierce my pedicure is, it won’t change that I’m still overweight. Instead of attempting to draw the eye away from my tummy, I’m going to forgo polish for a bit and instead use it as a reward. The next ten pounds I lose will garner me a trip to the nail salon. In the meantime I’ll keep them filed and neat, so as not to rub against my tennis shoes while I’m exercising.

Daily lie for today: everyone will notice I'm not wearing polish and suddenly realize I’m fat.

Salt of the Earth

I like to start mornings with a dose of headlines while I eat breakfast. You’d think that would put me off my feed but no; S&P downgrade be damned, I’m hungry. This usually involves egg whites on a small, mashed russet potato, nestled in steamed fresh spinach with garlic, a side of fresh berries and coffee.

 This morning’s news offerings were mainly about the current economic turmoil. But one article stood out, ‘Deadliest New Fast Food’ on The Daily Beast. None had less than 1,200mg of salt. One dish even weighed in over a whopping 3,000mg with its ham, cheese, fried hash browns, sausage gravy and bacon crumbles on top of two flour biscuits.  THAT makes my stomach turn more than an economic meltdown.

Many people have heard about my typical meals and tease me for it. Or ask why I can’t be ‘normal’. If normal is that monstrosity listed above, I’ll pass like a pro QB all day long. These types of heavy meals are usually touted on menus as home cooking meant to appeal to the everyman, the working class, attempting to recall a simpler time and evoke feelings of nostalgia. When some people hear of my usual menu I get eye rolling, told I’m ‘too fancy’ and asked if I ever eat ‘regular food’.  It took me years to figure out what people mean by this. Most aren’t looking down on me for my eating habits; they just have a smaller comfort zone than I.

Please indulge me as I retort in ‘everyman’ vernacular: my old man was a blue collar worker, we lived in a city dependent on the auto industry and I was raised in a Polish/German family. I’m well aware meat and potatoes are standard and I’ve had more than my fair share because you don’t get to be this fat without eating knockwurst, perogi and the like on a regular basis.  By mocking my food choices and suggesting I’m elitist because I politely decline tater tot casserole doesn’t mean I feel its beneath me (I love it!) it means I want to live longer.

While I was typing this I received an e-flyer from fast food restaurant Jack in the Box for their newest meal, the Jumbo Breakfast Platter. After a zero effort I found the nutritional data at impulsivebuy.com.

A Jumbo Breakfast Platter with Bacon: 657 calories, 37 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 422 milligrams of cholesterol, 1298 milligrams of sodium, 55 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 27 grams of protein. Jumbo Breakfast Platter with Sausages: 747 calories, 47 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 438 milligrams of cholesterol, 1168 milligrams of sodium, 56 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 26 grams of protein.

Wow. That’s just… heart-stopping.

Today’s lie to start the week right: I don’t crave drive-thru dining on a regular basis.

Say it Ain't Salt

When I was little I told my mom I didn’t like to cook. She’d respond with, ‘neither did your aunt Kris but once she was out of the house she started to like it. Its different when its your own kitchen.’ My mommy was right! And I even put that last sentence in writing for all to see!

Because I’m a foodie yet a fatty with a strict eating plan, I am a bit more limited in what I’m willing to eat. No white flour or sugar, low sodium is a must. Coworkers ask what’s left to enjoy and I joke I’m left with only a bowl of air and a bottle of diet water. But seriously folks, I eat.  And to help me eat well yet indulge my foodie self, my aunt Kris gifted me with a subscription to Bon Appétit magazine. As a matter of fact she just signed me up for another year. What a great aunt I have! Cooking is not just something I’m starting to enjoy, its now more of a challenge (in a good way) because of the eating plan I’ve adopted.

After flipping through the latest issue of Bon Appétit, I came across a lovely recipe for avocado salad. Its touted as a wonderful addition to any summer meal. This inspired me to look for something to go with said salad and I found a recipe for shredded chicken, Mexican style. But it calls for chicken broth, an item that’s so salty, I tended to shy away from recipes calling for it until my mom found the low sodium, organic version.

I tell you that to tell you this: it’s very difficult to be a foodie when you’re a fatty. Most recipes call for refined flour, sugar and salt. When you’re trying to watch your intake, this can be challenging but not impossible. I find Splenda® and ‘alt salt’ to be great alternatives. But this lead my train of thought to wonder why is there so many recipes calling for so much salt? The simple answer is that it tastes good. I can see the logic but have you looked at the sodium count for most items? I’m not speaking of fast food or junk food but recipes that call for a ‘dash of salt’ or ‘salt to taste’. When did we become so dependent on salt and does it really add value to a dish?

Long before there was refrigeration, people had to salt items (usually meats) to keep for extensive periods of time. We all have refrigerators now though, so why continue to salt items to the point that there’s little else to taste? I think we’re addicted to it and we continue to feed that craving, not even realizing what we’re doing. Up until I seriously paid attention to food products, I didn’t realize just how much salt I was consuming.

Did you know Crystal Lite has salt? It did until last year when the manufacturer no longer added it. Diet pop (I’m from MI, we call it pop not soda) has 30mg.When you’re trying to keep the count under 500mg daily, that’s quite a lot. To give you a visual, one cylindrical container of Morton’s has 578mg. A Big Mac has 742mg. I think of that canister every time I look at the sodium count in things to keep perspective.

Do we even taste the actual flavor of things anymore or do we just taste sodium and think that’s what an item is supposed to taste like? Example: when you eat a salad, are you tasting the ranch dressing, croutons, cheese and bacon bits or can you taste the vegetables?  Are you savoring that vine-ripened tomato and the sun-warmed cucumber, or are you reaching for the salt shaker to ‘add some flavor’? Perhaps its just a reflex that we pass the salt before even tasting the item.

My mom can tell you I was not one to add salt to anything, even when I was little. I have a salt shaker and when I’m entertaining I do put it out for others because I wouldn’t dream of foisting my eating plan onto others. But I can tell you that since I’ve cut back on the sodium, its amazing how many other flavors I can taste and enjoy the texture of.

Today’s lie: salt producers were sincere when they recently stated the American Medical Association had grossly exaggerated the health risks associated with a high sodium diet. Like tobacco producers said about smoking.

Just Swell

Been here lately and wonder why there’s no new lies? I have none! Actually that’s a lie right there. I was on vacation, by the time I returned and got back into a routine, I allowed myself to get busy again and not make time to post anything. I’m about to remedy that; just call me Pinocchio.

I work out 4-5 days a week. Please hold your applause until the end and no that’s not the lie. As I said, I work out 4-5 days a week. One hour of cardio, 20 minutes of strength training and stretching. This is not because I like public displays of Lycra, its because I retain water better than a bucket. My legs swell and the skin becomes tight and itchy. Picture water balloons stuffed into sandals. Not at all appealing. So I trudge away on the treadmill, vacillating between a feeling of euphoria (which I attribute to endorphins) and anger, that at 34 I have legs like someone three times my age, complete with varicose veins. Side note: also there’s at times a splash of superiority for being able to lift more than the Exercise Barbie next to me.  Petty? Yes, but her public display of Lycra is so much better than mine so let me have this one.

When I come home from a long day, I like to put my feet up. Not in the metaphorical sense, I have to elevate them whenever possible. At work I have to sit for longer periods of time because like many, my work revolves around a computer. So to combat that I get up when I can to stretch and more often than not I prop my legs up on the tower of my computer. Much to the IT guy’s chagrin.

If I don’t do these things on a regular basis, my ankles swell to what I’m guessing a woman at nine months pregnant looks like. My friend Jeni is currently finishing her third pregnancy and is the picture of health; I’m more swollen than she is at this point.

Tonight as I sit here typing I can feel the fluid building in my ankles, making a puddle of skin around my size 10 feet. Ah! But that’s actually progress because I was 42lbs heavier last summer and wore a size 11 shoe. Some would point out the glass is half full!  Unless its half full of ice cream, I don’t care. I just know that tomorrow after having been in prone position all night, I will shuffle into the shower and immediately the fluid will ooze down to my feet and before I’ve even gotten out the door to head to work, my toes, so pretty with their French pedicure, will  be little piggies crying wee-wee-wee and want to go home.

Tonight’s lie (and 2 bonuses): my high heel shoes aren’t mocking me, my weight won’t be a constant source of frustration and I’ll grow another 3 inches in height to be more in proportion to my weight.